Congressional Outreach

Two companies explain why they talk to Congress and how it helps their government business. Christopher G. Caine, vice president of governmental programs for IBM, and Brandon "Randy" Belote III, vice president of corporate and international communications at Northrop Grumman Corp., talked about the role of Congress in government contracting.

Why they talk to Congress:

IBM: "If you're going to be involved in government work, you have a responsibility to keep the Hill informed."

Who they talk to:

NG: "We reach out to those who obviously touch the process in appropriations and authorization, to make them aware of where various programs are in the Defense process, and also where we have large facilities and employ constituents."

What they talk about:

IBM: "We talk about procurements on a policy level, what the goal is and when it's going on….Then when we get a contract, we keep the Hill informed on how it's going."

Why it helps:

IBM: "It's important to be a public policy expert and a leader and to develop trust."